Upgrading to Roomette onboard Sunset Ltd

[spidersfan351]

I am taking #2 east from San Antonio to New Orleans on Sept 1st - 2nd. When I purchased the tickets, I was buying all the way from SAS to Culpeper, VA (Crescent) and was paying $70 for coach from SAS to NOL, and then $132 plus $188 for a roomette NOL-CLP. At the time, I opted not to upgrade to roomette the one night on the Sunset, since I would have a full day in SAS (connecting from #21) and figured I could just tough it out in coach and save the $182 it was quoting me.

Now, I've checked and discovered that the actual "low bucket" price is $95 for a roomette SAS to Lafayette (two stops west of NOL) and $107 SAS-NOL. My understanding has been that if you want to upgrade on board, you automatically pay the low bucket fare, which in my case would be $107.

Two questions. One, is this assumption about low-bucket costs correct? Second, are you allowed to upgrade just to a point short of your destination, like Lafayette here for me, which is around ten in the morning and by then I'll be in the SSL and in no need of a sleeper. Maybe it seems too cheap, but there is something to me about getting a roomette for under $100 that is really attractive. Again, since I won't be in it after 8am anyhow, will they let you only upgrade for a portion of the run "on board"? I could see why they would, but also why they would not. With Amtrak, these things seem terribly arbitrary.

 

[Pat Harper]

If I were you, I'd keep the roomette to NOLA because otherwise you'd miss out on lunch in the dining car, as that's the last meal they serve (and it's an early lunch at that).

 

[Tumbleweed]

And if you have luggage stored in sleeper luggage area, you would probably have to move it, as you would not have a valid ticket stub to get back in the sleeper car......

 

[darien-l]

I've had many experiences attempting to get an onboard upgrade, both on the Sunset and other trains, most of them unsuccessful. It appears that Amtrak no longer advertises or encourages onboard upgrades. For example, signs at the entrance to sleeper cars from the dining car used to say "Sleeper car passengers only beyond this point. Please see the conductor if you are interested in upgrading", but now read simply "Sleeper car passengers only beyond this point."

You can still ask the conductor, of course, but it's entirely up to his whim. You may be told that no upgrades are available, or asked to pay the going rate, as opposed to the lowest bucket price. The conductor may say "I'll get back to you", and that'll be the last you'll see of him. Or the conductor may say "there's nothing available now, try after X station", where X is the next crew exchange point.

Still, if you catch the conductor in a good mood, on a light workload day, present yourself well, *and* there are free rooms available, you have a shot. Once I even got a bedroom for the price of a lowest-bucket roomette. Still, the conductor will likely act like he's doing you a big favor, which he may be -- I'm not even sure if doing onboard upgrades is still part of his official job description.

 

[jb64]

I was able to upgrade from coach to a bedroom on the CZ last month. I mentioned it to the AC as she was collecting tickets and she got back to me within 15 minutes with the prices from the various upcoming stops. She was very friendly and accomodating. Of course, she had only been on the job for about 6 months, so I guess maybe that was why. As to the price, it was lowbucket for that room and that city pair.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've had many experiences attempting to get an onboard upgrade, both on the Sunset and other trains, most of them unsuccessful. It appears that Amtrak no longer advertises or encourages onboard upgrades. For example, signs at the entrance to sleeper cars from the dining car used to say "Sleeper car passengers only beyond this point. Please see the conductor if you are interested in upgrading", but now read simply "Sleeper car passengers only beyond this point." You can still ask the conductor, of course, but it's entirely up to his whim. You may be told that no upgrades are available, or asked to pay the going rate, as opposed to the lowest bucket price. The conductor may say "I'll get back to you", and that'll be the last you'll see of him. Or the conductor may say "there's nothing available now, try after X station", where X is the next crew exchange point.

^ This.

Some people have apparently been able to upgrade to a room from coach but after several failed attempts on trains that Amtrak.com showed with multiple immediately available rooms while we were in transit I've completely given up. So far as I can tell upgrading on board the Sunset is rarely possible in actual practice. My experiences with several conductors on the Sunset has made it pretty clear to me that they really couldn't care less that anyone wants to give their employer more money. Better to just placate you with meaningless platitudes as they brush you off until they can hand you over to the next indifferent conductor. Apparently the only way you'll be successful is if you get a conductor that is so new to the job they don't yet realize they can simply ignore your request.

 

[me_little_me]

Here is Amtrak's upgrade policy but good luck finding conductors who abide by it - some do and some don't:

s) Promoting Available On-Board Sleeping Car Accommodations – Conductors and Assistant Conductors should promote and sell Sleeping Car accommodation upgrades when space is available on the manifest. Make the "Availability of Sleeping Car Accommodations Announcement" in Chapter 10 "On-Board Announcements & Signage." Notify the Train Attendants working in coaches that there is Sleeping Car space available and solicit their help in identifying passengers who might be interested in upgrading their accommodations. This also applies to passengers in a roomette who may want to upgrade to a bedroom. Sleeping Car sales requests should be made by contacting the Reservations Support Desk at (800) 205-0711. Do not call any other number or make reservations through any other method. If space is available, handle the upgrade as a standard on-board sale. Refer to section P "Using COTS for Upgrades" in Chapter 8 "Train Service Accounting Procedures" or the Conductor's Memorandum Tariff – "Guidelines for Selling Tickets On Board" for further guidance in handling the ticketing process.

As to a comment about not encouraging it:

It appears that Amtrak no longer advertises or encourages onboard upgrades. For example, signs at the entrance to sleeper cars from the dining car used to say "Sleeper car passengers only beyond this point. Please see the conductor if you are interested in upgrading", but now read simply "Sleeper car passengers only beyond this point."

I was on the Crescent last Friday and last Sunday and in both trains, the diner still had the original wording

 

[Bob Dylan]

As was stated,it's still Policy for Conductors to do upgrades on LD Trains,when available!

I've found the Conductors on the Eagles to be very accomidating in this regards , the Sunset Clock Watchers just the opposite! :angry2: Those guys seem more about getting to the next Crew change stop, let the next Conductor handle it seems to be their motto! (No extra Paperwork! ) If they were allowed to collect Comission on Upgrades bet theyd make Tony Robbins seem like a Slacker in hustling up Customers! :giggle: (Of course the OBS should share in it too if it was allowed!)

 

[spidersfan351]

I see. This is less than comforting. I am not a hard charging person, but I am prepared to be pretty matter of fact about it. As long as I'm not argumentative or abusive, the worst I can be told is to stay in coach.

I agree with the suggestions, staying in the Roomette all the way to NOL is the best move. The bottom line is that I can save $75 (roughly 40 percent) if I do it on the train instead of right now. I wasn't considering it before, but as thoughts of hassling with a uncooperative conducter at midnight or later really set in, I may just have to break down and do it.

 

[spidersfan351]

One slight advantage I think I have is that it's over five hours to the next stop (Houston). After things die down, I should be able to get their attention without an immediate excuse for him to duck out. Not that it may help, but we shall see.

 

[ehbowen]

On a trip in 2008 from Houston to New Orleans I tried upgrading, asking the conductor as he was lifting tickets. I was just getting off working the night shift and really needed a place to crash. He wasn't enthusiastically helpful, but he did make the phone call and quote me a price once he was finished with his immediate business of lifting tickets and supervising the backup move to place the train on the ex-MoPac main for the eastbound run to Beaumont. You could tell that he was less than familiar with the process, but he did in fact complete the sale and I was able to upgrade and get my catnap, as well as breakfast and lunch.